Episode 11: The Critical Role of Early Intervention
“We often hear about when things don’t go right, we hear about the confrontations, or we hear about the parents who are dissatisfied with services or the district that’s maybe not meeting the needs of children and families. But if everyone can keep the focus on the child and bring to the table the things that are strengths for them and recognize the things that are strengths in others, then they can benefit the child in greater ways.” — Angela McGuire, Project Director
In this episode of the Leading Voices podcast, host Danny Torres talks with Angela McGuire, Project Director within WestEd’s Early Childhood Intervention, Mental Health, and Inclusion team under Early Childhood Development and Learning. Angela leads the Comprehensive Early Intervention Technical Assistance Network (CEITAN), which has supported the professional growth of early childhood intervention professionals for more than 30 years. Together, they discuss the critical role of early intervention in improving outcomes for our youngest children with disabilities and how state agency leaders can best support early intervention professionals in their work.
Their conversation covers the following topics:
- What state leaders need to know to best support early intervention professionals
- The Comprehensive Early Intervention Technical Assistance Network (CEITAN) work in California
- The relationships between parents or caregivers and professionals in early intervention work
- How early intervention professionals help prepare families as their children move into the K-12 system
- Workforce development and capacity building for early intervention professionals
Additional Resources
- Transforming Early Intervention and Improving Outcomes for Children—Q&A with Angela McGuire (Blog Post)
- Cultural Humility Series (Webpage)
- Early Childhood Development, Learning, and Well-Being (Webpage)
- California Early Start (Webpage)
- 4 Ways to Support Partnerships With Families (Edutopia Blog Post)
Listen to more Leading Voices Podcast episodes.
Featured Guests
Angela McGuire is an expert in special education program requirements, tailored professional development, and family engagement. She leads the design and delivery of web-supported training for a statewide personnel development system, deploying a multidisciplinary team and optimizing a variety of platforms to deliver, reinforce, and enhance the integration of new knowledge and policy into effective practice. She also serves as Co-Lead of the Stakeholder and Family Engagement Systems Element Team for the National Center for Systemic Improvement at WestEd.
Resource Details
Format: Podcast
Minutes: 22
Publisher: WestEd
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